The present invention relates generally to recreation vehicle carriers and, more particularly, to a recreation vehicle carrier which enables two recreation vehicles to be positioned thereon without repositioning a ramp assembly.
All-terrain vehicles (ATV""s) are relatively small four-wheeled recreation vehicles powered by a motorcycle engine. In recent years, ATV""s have become a popular source of recreation and have also found use in rural and mountainous environments for accessing areas difficult to reach by automobiles. However, ATV""s may not be driven on streets or highways and, consequently, must frequently be transported by truck or trailer. While a single ATV can be transported in the bed of most trucks, two ATV""s will not fit lengthwise in the truck bed.
Several carrier devices have been proposed in the prior art for hauling two ATV""s in or over the bed of a truck, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,281,075 and 4,874,284 to Tatman and Truitt, respectively. Although assumably effective in operation, the existing vehicle carriers require a repositioning of the loading ramps following the loading of a first vehicle before a second vehicle can be loaded. This step is inconvenient and difficult because the loading ramps are typically made of a heavy material such as iron.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a recreation vehicle carrier for use with pickup trucks having various dimensions which allows two ATV""s to be loaded or unloaded without repositioning loading ramps. It is also desirable to have a recreation vehicle carrier which supports two ATV""s above the side walls of a truck, leaving the truck bed available for transport of other items. Further, it is desirable to have a vehicle carrier which includes a complete peripheral barrier for retaining two ATV""s thereon.
A recreation vehicle carrier for use with a pickup truck according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a frame assembly having a pair of laterally spaced apart rails connected at their ends by end bars. The frame assembly presents dimensions substantially equal to the dimensions of the bed of a truck such that the rails of the frame assembly may be supported by the side walls of the truck. The frame assembly may be mounted to the side walls of a truck with a plurality of posts depending from the rails and adapted to mate with the spaced apart stake pockets in the side walls of a pickup truck. Turnbuckles attached to the first platform may also be coupled to the stake pockets and tensioned to securely mount the vehicle carrier to the side walls.
A first platform is fixedly attached to the rails and extends therebetween. A second platform is slidably coupled to the rails and extends therebetween. The second platform has a longitudinal dimension smaller than the longitudinal dimension of a truck bed such that the second platform is slidably movable between a first position adjacent the first platform and a second position overlapping the first platform.
The vehicle carrier also includes a pair of loading ramps. Each ramp includes a first end having a cylindrical mounting member for coupling the ramp to a bracket which extends outwardly from each rail adjacent the first platform. The ramps may be removably coupled to one side of the first platform for selectably loading a vehicle onto the first or second platform. The ramps may be removably coupled to the other side of the first platform for unloading a vehicle from the first or second platform. Thus, a vehicle may be loaded and unloaded in a forward direction. The vehicle carrier also includes safety barriers about a periphery thereof which preclude a vehicle from accidentally falling off a platform during loading.
Therefore, a general object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier which can support two recreation vehicles above the bed of a pickup truck.
Another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, which may be supported by the side walls of a pickup truck.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, including a first platform having a fixed position and a second platform slidably movable between a first position overlapping the first platform and a second position adjacent the first platform.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, in which two recreation vehicles may be loaded onto the first and second platforms without repositioning loading ramps.
A further object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, in which a recreation vehicle may be loaded and unloaded in a forward direction.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, which can cover the bed of the truck to which it is mounted for protecting items stored therein.
A particular object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, having safety barriers extending upwardly about a periphery thereof for preventing a loaded vehicle from accidentally falling from a platform.
Another particular object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, in which portions of the safety barriers are pivotal for being selectably opened or closed during loading/unloading or transport, respectively.
A further object of this invention is to provide a vehicle carrier, as aforesaid, in which the second platform may be selectably allowed to move relative to the first platform or held in the second position adjacent the first platform.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention.